Health literacy among lactating women and the promotion of breastfeeding and maternal and child health.
Élida Cristina Santos Corrêa, Poliana Pereira Costa Rabelo, Pablo Nascimento Cruz and 3 others
PMID 41055598WHAT IT FOUND
Most lactating women at a Brazilian human milk bank had inadequate health literacy.
Younger, lower income, less educated women and those with mild cognitive loss were most affected, so breastfeeding education may need plain, tailored support.
Key findings
01Among 187 lactating women at a human milk bank, 105 had inadequate functional health literacy and 82 had adequate literacy.
02Inadequate health literacy was more prevalent among women aged 18 to 26 years (67.1%, 57 women) than among women aged 36 to 44 years (33.3%, 8 women).
03The study reported significant associations between health literacy and cognitive function, age, education, and family income.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that health literacy causes breastfeeding practices or outcomes. It was done at one human milk bank in one city in Northeastern Brazil, so results may not apply to other mothers or settings. The authors reported a non-probabilistic sample and no multicentre approach. The study did not include qualitative analysis of cultural aspects of breastfeeding. Participants were women attending a milk bank, not all lactating women.
Declared interests
The supplied text reports financial support from CAPES, funding code 001, process number 88887.808650/2023-00. No other conflicts of interest are stated.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that low health literacy causes lower breastfeeding rates, or that plain-language education will improve breastfeeding. This study measured health literacy and associations with mother characteristics, not a breastfeeding outcome after an intervention.